


Missed Connections

by unfroyharper



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bisexual Remus Lupin, Chronic Illness, Genderfluid Teddy Lupin, Grief/Mourning, Lunarian Nymphadora Tonks, M/M, Mechanic Sirius Black, Off-screen non-acceptance of nb identities, Slow-ish burn, Social Anxiety, Welsh Remus, it will not be a plot point no worries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2019-03-21 05:13:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13733877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unfroyharper/pseuds/unfroyharper
Summary: "You're happier with him, I can hear it in your voice." She replied with the certainty she always had when gauging Remus' emotions. Remus gave a slightly abashed laugh, lowering his gaze. "I mean it, you seem more confident and-- settled.""I thought I was fairly well-settled before. If anything, he's made me less settled." Remus muttered, fingers curling around the mug of tea.





	1. First Contact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "tad" is a Welsh version of "dad"

"Tad, catch me!"

Remus opened his arms automatically as a colorful blur launched towards him, scooping Teddy up with a laugh and a ruffle of bright blue hair. It was then he spotted Harry coming to a stop a few feet away, hardly looking ruffled from having to sprint to keep up with the energetic child. But then, he was barely twenty, and played sport. Remus, meanwhile, felt older by the minute, and constantly running after a five year old wore him out easily. "Were you good for Harry?" He quirked an eyebrow at Teddy, who giggled and nodded, then turned his questioning but amused gaze towards the man in question.

Harry laughed, and Remus was glad to see him looking so at ease. Harry often looked like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, but babysitting Teddy always seemed to ease that burden a bit. "He was fine. We finished homework early, so I let him play on my--"

"Harry's got a 3DS and I played Animal Crossing and it made me pick boy or girl but Harry said the boys can wear girl clothes and the girls can wear boy clothes in it, and you can change your hair colors all the time, and you get to make a house and stuff!" Teddy burst in, prompting Remus to gently remind him not to interrupt other people. "Sorry Harry." He apologized promptly, sounding practiced at it. It was something they'd been working on for a bit.

"That sounds very fun, Teddy." Remus smiled and set him down again. If Teddy really took to this game, it would make a good Christmas present. He'd have to see how much it cost, though, especially since they didn't have any game consoles save for Remus' ancient PlayStation that collected dust more than anything else. "Could you get your homework for me? I'd like to see how you did."

Teddy nodded and ran off and Remus' gaze shifted to Harry again. "Not that I don't trust you, of course. I just prefer to keep up with what they're teaching him."

Harry waved it off, chuckling. "Don't worry, I understand. Um, I don't mean to rush out on you or anything, but--" He trailed off, voice uncertain, and Remus could easily figure he had plans of some sort. He'd been hoping Harry might join them for dinner, but far be it from him to keep him from a social life anymore than he already has.

"Of course, of course! Don't let us keep you. And thank you again. Bring your classwork over this Sunday and I'll be happy to help you with it." Remus smiled; he couldn't really afford to pay for a babysitter, but he didn't feel right having Harry do it for free, so Remus had offered him tutoring for his college courses in exchange. He was a bright young man, but like anyone, he had subjects he struggled in, and his research skills weren't the best. He'd spent too long depending on his friend Hermione to do the research for him, Remus reckoned.

"I'll say bye to Teddy." Harry looked relieved that Remus wasn't trying to get him to stay. Very important plans, then.

Remus' lips curled up mischievously. "Do tell Ginny that we'd be happy to have the both of you over for dinner again soon."

Harry flustered, and Remus chuckled, knowing he'd hit the nail on the head. "I, uh, she'll be happy to hear that! I bet!"

Teddy ran back in, waving his homework in the air, and Harry seemed relieved for the distraction. "I got it, Tad!"

Remus took it from him, paging through it. "Thank you, Teddy. Harry's got to head out, love, so say goodbye."

"Bye, Harry!" He chirped cheerfully, and gave Harry a hug.

"What else do we say?" Remus prompted patiently.

"Thank you for playing with me!" Teddy looked back at Remus for confirmation. Remus nodded, then sweeped his hand in a gesture of "keep going". "And..." Teddy's face scrunched in thought, then brightened again. "And helping me with homework!" At that, Remus gave a thumbs up.

Harry returned Teddy's hug tightly. "You're welcome, Teddy. I'll keep bringing Animal Crossing, so you keep working hard on getting your homework done, okay? I'll see you on Sunday." As eager as he'd been to head out, he seemed reluctant to let go.

"Have a good night." Remus got a hug from the young man as well before he started for the door.

"You too."

The night proceeded as usual; Remus made dinner, Teddy chattered on about what had happened at school, then played in front of the tv as Remus graded assignments on the couch. Then it was time to get Teddy ready for bed. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket as he ran the bath, but had to ignore it when Teddy took the distraction as an opportunity to streak through the house completely nude, wanting Remus to chase him.

It took another ten minutes to get Teddy settled down enough to bathe, another five to get teeth brushed and pajamas on, and one glass of water later, he was finally tucked into bed and Remus could check it.

`hey`

Anticlimactic, and from an unknown number. Remus was tempted to just not answer it at all, but his curiosity got the better of him. What could it hurt?

`Who is this?` 

The reply came quickly.

`don't be like that. you're coming, right?`

His eyebrows lofted. Whoever it is must have the wrong number, and Remus should really just tell them so more clearly, but-- well, it couldn't hurt to have some fun with it first.

`Maybe I need a little convincing first.`

The next reply took a little longer, and Remus started to wonder if the stranger had figured out they'd been talking to someone other than who they'd intended. Then, a picture popped up that nearly made Remus drop his phone in shock.

The man in it was gorgeous; he seemed about Remus' age, his features aristocratic but with a rough edge that was immensely attractive. It was a selfie, an overhead shot, and angled artistically to display his torso. He was wearing a muscle shirt and work jeans, and how he managed to make such simple clothes look stunning was something Remus couldn't begin to understand. He had black smudges along his arms, his dark hair looked like it was tied back, and was leaning against a sleek-looking motorbike. But what had made Remus nearly drop his phone was that the man's hand was gripping his bulging erection, like he was a bloody calendar pin-up.

This definitely wasn't meant for him. Remus wasn't the kind of person someone like _that_ sent racy pictures to, and besides, he didn't _know_ who it was.

`got a present for u. that convincing enuff? ;)`

Attractive as he was, his grammar was atrocious. Still, Remus suddenly felt horrible for having lied.

`I'm really sorry, you must have the wrong number. I don't know who you are.`

It was another few minutes before the next reply.

`that's fine. enjoy the picture still?`

Remus' heart was about to thud out of his chest. It had really been far too long since he'd-- well, since he'd had anything resembling a romantic overture made towards him. Not since Dora had passed. He knew she wouldn't have wanted him to live like a hermit, but it was easier said than done to ignore that tendency. Accepting propositions from strangers who'd texted him by mistake was a bit too far out of his comfort zone, though.

`It's a very artistic angle?`

`oh ur a picky one eh? i see, i see.`

At least the man didn't seem offended that he'd sent a lewd picture to a stranger by mistake, but then, he didn't know Remus was also a man yet.

`Sorry I didn't say right away. I didn't expect the conversation to take that sort of turn.`

`no worries! can i get ur name tho?`

He should just say no, just end the conversation. He could find a way to block the number.

`Why?`

`just curious. u seem interesting`

Remus chuckled and shook his head.

`You don't know anything about me.`

`i kno u were gonna play me at first but then i sent the pic and u fessed up. so ur honest when it matters`

As Remus considered his options, another text arrived.

`besides uve seen what i look like. it's only fair u kno!`

He huffed out a laugh and replied before he could think better of it.

`My name is Remus.`

`like the greek dude?`

`Roman, actually.`

`oh yeah. the twins right? raised by wolves? u got a twin?`

`That's correct. No, I'm an only child.`

`good i hate when people get too theme-y with their kids names`

`you doing anything tonite remus?`

How sad that this was the most engaging conversation he'd had with someone new in some time. He really needed to get out more.

`Grading papers, mostly.`

`ur a teacher? what do u teach?`

Hadn't this man been trying to reach a-- a lover, presumably? Or, since he didn't seem to mind Remus' intercepting of his picture, it was probably just a sex thing. As if he'd be interested in a stodgy widower who mentally referred to a stranger's hook-up as their  _lover._

`Secondary level physics and literature.`

`shoulda guessed the lit, ur all proper spelling and such. strange combo tho`

`You're not the first to think so. I like the balance.`

There was no reply for several minutes, and Remus went back to grading, assuming the stranger had gotten bored or finally gotten into contact with who he'd _meant_ to talk to. It was a fun distraction while it lasted, anyway.

He lost track of time in his grading, and only realized he'd dozed off on the couch when his phone buzzed once more.

`nice talking to u remus. have a good one`

It was such an innocuous message, but it made a lump sit heavy in his throat. It seemed so caring.

It had really been far too long since he'd socialized with adults other than his co-workers, Harry, and a handful of other former students.

"You're a mess, Lupin. He doesn't know you from Adam." He muttered to himself, groaning as he made to his feet off the couch. At least the text had woken him up so he could get to bed proper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the overdone dead wife trope. I'll write Remus and Dora their own proper fic, and no one will die in it.
> 
> I have a decent-ish chunk of this written?? It's already the longest fic I've ever written, and I've got it all outlined and stuff. I'm hoping getting other people hyped about it will help me keep writing it. Kudos and comments are super encouraging!


	2. Twice Is Coincidence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus gets a flat tire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to get this out a day or so ago but, life. Nain and Taid are Welsh familial terms for grandmother and grandfather, respectfully. "bach" after someone's name is yet another Welsh term of endearment. I love me a Welsh Remus what can I say.

Teddy was up before Remus the next morning, which Remus discovered when tiny fingers started prodding at him. He scrunched up his face and let out an exaggerated snore, prompting giggles.

"Tad, can I have breakfast pleaaase?" Teddy pleaded and Remus gave in, opening his eyes and sitting up in bed.

He noted the token on Teddy's ever-present bracelet swapped to 'SHE'; it'd become habit to check it regularly, to be sure he was always using the right pronouns. Of course, being a young child who occasionally couldn't remember which shoe went on which foot, Teddy didn't always remember to change it to how she was feeling, but it was usually accurate first thing in the morning when she'd only just put it on. "Alright, give me a minute, sweetie." He yawned as Teddy ran off to the living room, and Remus heard the familiar noise of Saturday morning cartoons.

He'd slept past his alarm, but it was the weekend. It didn't matter much. Their only plans were to visit Remus' parents for dinner anyway. It had taken Lyall, Remus' father, a little longer than Remus had hoped to adjust to Teddy's gender fluidity, but he'd forwarded a few academic papers to him and that had helped, as did the pronoun bracelet. His mum had taken to it immediately, stating that now she had a granddaughter too, and she could hardly take issue with that. As for Teddy's other set of grandparents, well... Remus couldn't say what Ted would have thought, as he'd died when Dora had still been pregnant, but he liked to think Teddy's namesake would have been accepting. Andromeda expressed her disapproval in how Remus chose to raise his child in her own subtle way. Never in front of Teddy, and she still openly adored her grandchild, but not even both of them having lost a spouse seemed to endear her to _Remus_ any more. If anything, she'd become colder to him since her daughter's death.

The text conversation of the previous night didn't even cross his mind as he got himself and Teddy fed and through their Saturday routine.

 

* * *

 

They'd barely driven ten minutes when Teddy whined that she needed to pee.

Remus sighed, glancing back at her through the rear-view mirror. "I thought I told you to go before we left?"

"I didn't have to then!" She whined, pouting.

As Remus pulled into a nearby gas station, there was the unmistakable, loud noise of one of the tires running over something it shouldn't have. The bump jostled them and made Teddy startle, but more concerning to Remus was the state of the tire. "It's alright." He soothed, pulling into a parking spot by the door. He moved out to help Teddy out of her booster seat, taking stock of the damage as he did.

It certainly didn't _look_ safe to make the rest of the drive on.

He bustled Teddy into the public restroom, which was fortunately a single-stall. It was a constant worry of his, how people would react to his nonconforming child, so Remus usually opted for family restrooms or single stalls whenever possible, so he could wait right outside the door and make sure Teddy was safe. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep that up indefinitely; as Teddy got older, she would need to navigate that on her own, but for as long as he _could_ protect her, he would. He knew it'd only get more difficult once Teddy hit puberty, and that even with all his caution and attempts to prepare the both of them, eventually the world would find a way to hurt his baby, and he would long for the days he could protect her so fully.

The door opened and Teddy presented her washed hands proudly. "All done!"

Remus smiled, looking up from texting his father about the tire. "Very good. We had a little accident with the tire, though, so we have to make another stop before getting to Nain and Taid's."

Poor planning led to Remus not having a spare, but luckily the nearest mechanic wasn't far. If it looked like it was going to take too long, he could always have them come pick Teddy up.

He drove very slowly and carefully to the mechanic; Black's Repairs, the place was called. The reviews online all seemed very positive, so Remus hoped they wouldn't try to scam him; this was already going to put a considerable dent in his finances.

The place seemed mostly empty, which was a good sign. That probably meant they could get to Remus quickly. He walked in, Teddy holding onto his hand, and a very bored-looking woman perked up considerably when she spotted Teddy. Of the potential reactions to a five year old with hair dyed neon blue, that was one of the better ones. Some people took it upon themselves to lecture Remus for "allowing" Teddy such freedom over her appearance, which usually only worsened when they caught on that she wasn't gender-conforming.

"Well aren't you cute? I love your hair." The woman grinned down at Teddy, who smiled shyly up at her. She then turned to Remus. "Can she have some candy?"

Teddy gasped, staring up at Remus pleadingly. He nodded and Teddy eagerly fished a sucker out of the candy bowl the woman offered to her, chiming a thank you without any prompting from Remus at all.

That done, the woman settled down into business. "What can we help you with?"

"I've had a flat, and I don't have a spare." Remus explained. A door marked _Employees Only_ opened, catching his eye, and he gaped at who came through it.

It was the man he'd been texting the night before.

Boggled at the chances of that, he quickly looked back to the woman behind the desk, trying to act nonchalant. She looked between him and her co-worker, who was helping himself to the coffee set out for customers, her expression clearly amused. "Hey Sirius, got an easy one for you."

"Oh?" Something about the way she'd phrased that, and the tone with which _Sirius_ reacted, made him think she wasn't just talking about the job of replacing his tire. Sirius-- there was no other word for it, he _sauntered_ over, holding his foam cup of coffee like it was as classy as a glass of wine. Remus could feel those steely grey eyes looking him over, and it made him fluster. He lost track of the conversation as the woman explained the situation to Sirius, distracted by the play of the muscles in Sirius' arms.

"You alright there, mate?" Sirius waved a hand in front of his eyes, smirking. Remus jolted out of his thoughts, feeling his face heat.

"Er-- yes, sorry. Long night." He muttered, feeling like the worst sort of creep. Sirius was _working._ And he didn't know it was Remus he'd been texting the night before.

"No prob, go have some coffee, sit down. We'll take care of ya." Sirius winked. "Marlene's gonna get some info from you, and I'll have your keys."

"Right." Remus fished his keys and his wallet out of his pocket, dropping the former into Sirius' waiting hand. "How, ah-- How long do you expect it'll be?" Remus touched a hand to the back of Teddy's head; she was humming a tune around her sucker and looking around curiously, not minding the adults.

"No time at all, really. I can do some routine stuff while we're at it, too. No extra charge." Sirius smiled smoothly, waving off what seemed to be a protest from Marlene. He laughed at Remus' hesitance to accept the offer. "I promise I'm not trying to scam you. It's real basic stuff, everything in the package here." He pointed to a pamphlet about a routine maintenance that was meant to be done a few times a year. "I like to make sure everyone who comes here drives off in a safe vehicle, and it's been a slow day. The whole thing won't take more than half an hour, tops."

"Alright." Remus caved; he seemed genuine, at least, and he was probably overdue for an oil change anyway. "Thank you."

"Sure thing!" Sirius grinned and turned to look out into the parking lot, presumably for Remus' car. He must have known which car had only just pulled into the lot, as he didn't ask for clarification. He headed out, and Marlene had Remus fill out some paperwork while she ran his license and credit card.

"Alright, Mr. Lupin, you can go ahead and have a seat." Marlene's smile was all customer-service now, and Remus, glad to get the interaction over with (as well as not being _that_ much of a pretentious dickhead), didn't mention that he was actually _Professor_ Lupin. He didn't have a problem speaking with her, of course, he was just on pins and needles wondering when Sirius would see his name, if he'd catch on.

 _Remus_ wasn't exactly a common name, after all, and he'd caught him gaping like an idiot already. He was sure to figure it out.

A little hand tugged at his sleeve, drawing his attention to Teddy.

"Can I play games on your phone please?" Teddy pleaded, and Remus would have said yes just because she'd remembered to ask nicely if it weren't for practicality.

"Sorry, Teddy bach, I've got to keep the battery up so we can call your Nain if we need to. And I didn't bring a charger with me." Remus smiled apologetically. "Did you bring the whiteboard and markers?" It wasn't quite as engaging to Teddy as mobile and video games were, but it was enough to keep a five year old occupied for the length of a car ride. Or a tire change, as it were.

"Yeah but they're still in the car!" Teddy whined, her five year old temperament swiftly verging on a melt-down, candy be damned, and Remus was about to consider asking Marlene if he could go fetch them when Sirius came back in through the door to the garage, carrying something.

He shot Remus another heart-stopping grin, trotting over to them and kneeling beside Teddy, who looked up at him through teary eyes. "Are these yours? I found them in the back seat." Sirius held out the whiteboard and little bag of dry-erase markers, and Remus could have kissed him right then and there.

Teddy nodded, reaching out to take them, and Remus saw Sirius glance at Teddy's pronoun bracelet. Puzzlement turned to surprise, and Remus tensed, ready to leap to his child's defense, but Sirius just handed the board and bag of markers over, grinning as he spoke in a stage-whisper. "I also put some more candy in the bag for you. Don't tell your dad!" He winked at Teddy, who gave a teary giggle, and stood back up, meeting Remus' eyes for a moment.

He shouldn't feel _grateful_ for people still acting the same towards Teddy after discovering she didn't fit their expectations, it should just be taken for granted that strangers wouldn't treat his child like a freak, nor offer unsolicited parenting advice because of their own bigotry. But it was a relief that they didn't have to have that fight right now, with the man working on their car, no less.

"Thanks for bringing that in for her." Remus said instead, because that _was_ something to thank him for.

Teddy plopped right down on the floor, unpacking her markers and squirreling the candy away into the pockets of her dress.

"Sure thing. Better get back to it, I promised it wouldn't take long." He headed back out with a careless-looking wave, still with that ridiculously handsome grin.

Remus sat in the chair nearest Teddy, lost in thought. It had been a long time since he'd felt attracted to anyone, and even longer since he'd been with anyone other than his late wife. He wasn't one for one-night stands. Not because he disapproved of them, he just had a difficult enough time being intimate with those he _did_ know well, nevermind a near stranger. It seemed impossible, to put himself in so vulnerable a position with someone he didn't fully trust.

Sirius probably had people lining down the block for a chance with him, in any way he wanted. He certainly was a flirt, he'd definitely had some sort of hook-up going on the night previous, and there was that seeming double-entendre Marlene had made. Remus was getting far too ahead of himself; it had just been too long. Just some harmless flirting, that was all it was. Nothing was going to come of it. If Remus didn't just chicken out, Sirius would realize he was dull as dishwater and it would end by that.

He stayed lost in thought, only startling out of it when the garage door swung open again, admitting Sirius once more. He and Marlene had a quiet conversation, and then she stood up from the reception desk and went off through a different door marked Employees Only, Sirius taking her place.

"Alright, Mr...." Sirius' voice trailed off as he looked over the paperwork, and Remus could practically hear the wheels turning in the man's mind. _"Professor_ Lupin. Interesting name. Anyway, you're all ready to go."

Remus nodded, helping Teddy to gather up her markers before walking back up to the desk. Sirius seemed to be appraising him yet again, and Remus was certain he had figured it out.

"You know..." Sirius started with a smile. "Just the other night, I talked to someone named Remus."

"Did you?" Remus feigned cluelessness, poorly. "It's not a very common name."

"About as common as _Sirius,_ I'd guess." The dark-haired man laughed, and Remus couldn't help but crack a smile. "It was sort of an accident, but I think I might have made a bad first impression."

"I'm sure you didn't." Remus' smile turned coy, and he once again felt his heart-rate pick up. Was this flirting? He was _successfully_ flirting! "But it probably couldn't hurt to talk to him again."

What was he _doing?_

Sirius laughed again, but it didn't feel like he was laughing _at_ Remus. It was nice, hearing it. "I might do!" He handed Remus his keys back, brushing his fingers against Remus' palm in what seemed a very deliberate fashion. "Have a good evening, Professor Lupin."

"You too." Remus nodded, and was almost loathe to leave it there, but... well, Sirius _did_ have his phone number, and they were overdue for dinner now.

As they walked out, Teddy's hand in his, she spoke up. "Tad, do you know him?"

Remus struggled to reply, hearing Sirius laugh again as the door closed behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter features: more texting, more flirting, and a date


	3. Third Time's the Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus and Sirius get to know each other better. A surprise, and a good night out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've formatted the text conversations a little differently to make it more clear who's saying what, and the first chapter should reflect the change now. Just in case their texting styles rub off on each other in the future or something!

A few hours later, Sirius texted him again.

`how's the car, professor?`

Remus let out a huff of laughter to see it, catching his father's attention. Teddy's attention was glued to the movie they'd put on after dinner, and Hope was braiding her hair.

"What is it?" Lyall, already a soft-spoken man like his son, spoke even quieter so as not to disturb Teddy's viewing.

Remus shook his head, feeling his cheeks heat yet again. He wasn't a bloody teenager, he was too old to be acting like this. "I ran into someone I knew at the mechanic. It's nothing really, he just thinks he's funny." 

Lyall raised an eyebrow, mouth twitching like he was trying not to smile. "Sounds like you think he's funny too."

"Suppose." Remus shrugged, scratching at the back of his neck. Lyall chuckled but let him be, turning back to the movie. Remus knew it was only to give him a semblance of privacy; the movie was entirely for Teddy's sake, after all. 

`Doing perfectly fine, thanks to you. My apologies for not mentioning that I recognized you, I was a bit baffled at the odds.`

`it's fine figured from ur expression u hadn't stalked me down or smth`

`so ur a professor but u teach secondary?`

`It's a calling. That, and I find the politics of most university environments to be obnoxious and stifling.`

Of course, it would have paid more to stay on at a university, especially if he could get tenure, but it just hadn't been worth it in the end. He  _ liked _ teaching that age range, and supplementing his income with an adjunct position at the local community college during the summers suited him just fine.

`ur an interesting guy remus`

`I'm afraid my ruse has fooled you, I'm actually terribly dull. The most interesting thing to happen to me in the past month was a wrong number sending me a text meant for someone else.`

`did u at least get a nice chat out of it?`

Remus ducked his head on a grin, hoping to keep from drawing the attention of either of his parents again.

`Oh yes, he's been an excellent conversation partner. Even got me a free oil change.`

`must be ur bookish charm! simply irresistible professor`

`how's the sprog doing? she less grumpy now?`

Remus had been expecting the topic to come up if they continued flirting. Not that he'd tried, but he knew many people seeking relationships weren't too keen on the other having kids. Particularly children as young as Teddy, who would naturally take priority for over a decade yet. He had yet to see a sign of it deterring Sirius, but it was still early. Flirting was harmless, after all, it promised nothing. Better to lay everything out before things went any further.

`Dinner certainly helped. Thank you again for bringing the whiteboard and markers in for her.`

`hey no prob! it's pretty cool u let her be herself. with the hair and everything`

`I see it as the least I can do, but thank you.`

`for sure i agree everyone should. but they don't, and you do.`

`i noticed the bracelet. can i ask?`

`Technically you just have, but alright. She doesn't mind me telling people who ask. In Teddy's own words, sometimes he's a boy, sometimes she's a girl, and sometimes they're neither. The bracelet is to make sure we're on the same page, when she remembers to switch it over.`

`genderfluid?`

`That suits best right now, yes. I'm glad you're understanding.`

They texted back and forth through the movie, and by the end of it, Teddy had fallen asleep on the floor. Hope and Lyall were looking ready for bed as well. Remus scooped Teddy up into his arms, accepting a goodbye hug from both of his parents as they walked to the door.

 

* * *

 

 

Flirting over text was far easier than in person, Remus figured. Personal conversation in general, really. He could take his time, carefully compose his answers. Sirius was charming and funny, and he had a genuine interest in Remus' life that made it very easy to share the details of it with him.

Over the past couple weeks, Remus had learned that Sirius was actually the owner and founder of that garage, that they shared an alma mater and had even graduated in the same year, though neither of them could remember meeting the other, and all sorts of little things about him. That he had a huge newfoundland named Padfoot that slobbered on every book he owned, that he preferred coffee over tea, and that he had a godson he'd recently been able to reconnect with.

Remus didn't know what had separated him from his godson to begin with; it felt presumptuous to ask, and Sirius hadn't volunteered the information. 

Sirius knew that Remus had been married, and that his wife, also Teddy's mother, had passed. He knew that Remus liked his tea very sweet with just a splash of cream, and that he liked horror films but hadn't gotten to see very many since Teddy had been born.

They hadn't spoken in person again, but they were both busy with work, and Remus with raising an energetic five year old as well, so it was understandable.

Now, nearly every time his phone buzzed, Remus had to force back an eager grin. That only became more difficult whenever he saw Sirius' name pop up in his notifications. More than one nosey acquaintance had asked what he was smiling about, and he'd come up with a variety of excuses to disinterest them. It wasn't any of their business, after all.

It was during his lunch break, which he took in the staff room on Tuesdays, that the next overture at meeting face to face again was made.

`u free friday night professor?`

Straight-forward as the question seemed, he really had no idea what Sirius intended.

`I can be. Do I need to make arrangements for a sitter or do you have something family-oriented in mind?`

`make ur arrangements. ur taking a night off for once u stubborn nerd`

Before he could second-guess himself, he sent the most burning question he had.

`Am I correct in assuming that this is a date?`

`indeed u are! if u want it to be, anyway`

Remus released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, feeling almost giddy. He had a  _ date!  _

`I'd like that. :)`

`cheers then! :D`

 

* * *

Sirius was adamant that their plans on Friday remain a surprise for Remus. Remus was not a big fan of surprises. It took some wheedling to even get a hint for how long he'd be out. All he'd gotten for an answer was "past Teddy's bedtime". Seeing as that was 8pm, it wasn't a very informative reply. Sirius  _ did _ give him some specifics for what to wear, though. Enough for Remus to wonder what, exactly, he was getting himself into.

Something about Harry's reaction when Remus asked him to sit had seemed suspect as well, but he couldn't imagine why. It was like Harry knew something that Remus didn't, and had no intention of telling him just yet. He'd been unbothered when Remus couldn't give him a solid return time, and simply told him to have a good night out.

Sirius was picking him up so they wouldn't have to bother with two vehicles for-- whatever he had planned, but Remus was wholly unprepared for the sight of a motorcycle roaring to a halt in front of his quaint little townhome.

To Sirius' credit, he was wearing a helmet and produced another one for Remus, brandishing it along with a shit-eating grin.

"Oh,  _ absolutely not _ ." Remus said reflexively, unmoving from where he stood on the porch.

Sirius laughed, stepping off the bike and setting the helmet down for a moment. "Calm down, Professor. This baby's my pride and joy, I wouldn't do anything to hurt her. And we're always careful with new passengers." He winked, patting the motorcycle fondly. "I'll coach you through it, it'll be easier than you think. We won't even go on the motorway, just the slow routes so you get used to it."

Remus' resolve wavered; it certainly looked well taken care of, and it made sense for Sirius, as a mechanic who cared deeply about his work, to be a safe driver. "You could have given me more notice."

"You'd have backed out." Sirius shrugged, and Remus couldn't really deny that. "And, honestly, I thought all the tips I gave you for what to wear would be enough of a hint. If you  _ really _ don't want to, though, we can take your car. And if you try it and decide you never wanna get on a motorcycle ever again, I'll order you a Lyft home. No hard feelings. It's not for everyone."

Well, now that it had been pointed out, Remus felt a little oblivious for not picking up on it sooner. Sirius had told him to wear jeans, boots, and a "decent jacket, leather if you've got it, denim if you don't".

Just looking at the thing made him nervous, but he glanced over at Sirius again and nodded. "Fine. I'll give it a try."

Sirius perked up, the effect rather like a dog being asked if he'd like to go on a walk. "Great! I brought gloves for you too, here." He pulled a pair of leather gloves out of the pocket of his leather jacket, which looked decidedly more suited to motorcycle riding than the heavy denim thing Remus had dragged out of the back of his closet.

The gloves were nice, and looked almost new. With a nod from Sirius, Remus put them on, surprising himself with how at ease he was starting to feel with this.

Sirius gave him a quick rundown of the procedure, showing him where he should put his feet, and where he should definitely  _ not _ put his feet. Then Sirius got on the bike and coached Remus through climbing on with him, going through different signals they'd need during the ride. "We won't be going so fast that it's  _ impossible _ to hear if you shout, but you should still know this so it's easier."

The signals were simple enough; one pat on Sirius' stomach for a non-urgent stop, two for "make it snappy", and three for "pull over right now". If they were going to go into a turn, Sirius would grab Remus' knee on the side they'd be turning into, and he taught him how to lean properly for that. And finally, Sirius had a gesture for when he wanted to check in on how Remus was doing. The appropriate replies then were a self-explanatory thumbs-up or down or a noncommittal handwave for neutral.

It was certainly more involved than being a passenger in a car, but Remus had always found new experiences far less daunting when he had clear instructions and knew what to expect, so he appreciated the lengths Sirius went to to explain everything to him.

With everything gone over and Remus properly outfitted with gloves and helmet, which Sirius was near obsessive with checking the fit of, Sirius kicked the bike into gear. Remus gasped and wrapped his arms tight around Sirius' waist as they gradually built up speed, wondering if the other man could feel his heart pounding in his chest through the layer of leather jacket.

Other than the initial shock of it, and the very first time they went into a turn, it felt almost natural, riding behind Sirius. For all the prep work that went into it, the ten minute ride went very quick. Of course, Remus could appreciate any mode of transportation that required him to hold tight to the painfully attractive man, but he was very glad they didn't get up to high speeds. The ride was just nerve-wracking enough to be exhilarating rather than terrifying.

His legs felt a bit jelly-like when he got off the bike, but it was good. It was  _ very _ good. He took off his helmet and turned around to find Sirius watching him, seeming on pins and needles for Remus' response. Apparently his facial expression was answer enough, as a satisfied grin grew on Sirius' face.

"I've converted you, haven't I? You're gonna have your own bike before long."

Remus laughed brightly, shaking his head. "No, I think not. I wouldn't mind riding with you some more, though." He handed his helmet back to Sirius after he'd finished locking his own to the bike, finally taking in their location. It was a cinema, and a nice one at that.

He pulled off his gloves and stuffed them into the pockets of his jacket, taking in the movie posters on the side of the building. Most of the titles, he didn't even recognize.

Sirius finished up with the bike and trotted up to him, still looking extremely pleased with himself. "I know it's a cliche and all, but you said you hadn't gone except for children's movies in years, so I thought, y'know..."

Remus waved it off, smiling. "It's classic for a reason, right?" It was a split-second decision, but he took Sirius' hand in his own before starting towards the entrance, a bit embarrassed by the frankly juvenile flutter in his stomach. Sirius looked utterly pleased by it, though, happily threading his fingers with Remus'.

"It's a dine-in cinema, so it's literally dinner  _ and _ a show." Sirius explained as they walked in. "The food's pretty good too. I was thinking we could see  _ The Seven Horcruxes, _ if that's fine with you?" He gestured to the poster for the title, which made it clear it was a horror film, and a very grisly-looking one at that.

"Alright. I haven't heard of it, but it looks up my alley." The fact that Sirius had remembered so much of their conversations and set up the whole date to give Remus a treat made his heart twist pleasantly in his chest. He reached to pull out his wallet as they got up to the ticket stand, but Sirius held up a hand to stop him, taking out his own wallet.

"I've got this one. I asked  _ you _ out."

Remus frowned. It had been a long time since he'd had to deal with the awkwardness of figuring out who pays for what on a date. He'd never felt very comfortable letting other people pay his way, having grown up keenly aware of his family's poor financial status. Sirius didn't know about that, of course, but it wouldn't take much to figure out that a single parent on a teacher's salary wasn't exactly swimming in wealth. It  _ was _ a fair point that Remus had been the one to be asked out, however. "Let me get the tickets, at least."

Sirius considered him for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright, if you insist."

The tickets were a bit more than he was used to, but then, he usually took Teddy to the cheap theater after whatever movie they were going to see had been out for a while. He decided right then to not pay any mind to the cost of dinner, so long as it wasn't  _ completely _ outrageous. He didn't want to ruin his evening out, and this still new and fragile relationship, because of his own insecurities.

He handed Sirius his ticket and they made their way to their seats, Remus firmly ignoring the average price of an entree as he went through the menu.

So Sirius, being childless, had more disposable income than Remus, a single father. That was hardly a surprise. Nothing to be ashamed of. 

The movie was every bit as gore-y as the poster implied, and several other movie goers, including Sirius, looked rather put off their meals by it, but Remus didn't care. Knowing it was  fake was enough to counter the nauseating realism for him. Sirius reacted hilariously to the few jumpscares, nearly upturning his chair in instinctual fear and then glaring up at the screen with mixed anger and excitement.

His reactions to the film were nearly as entertaining to Remus as the film itself. He often found himself watching the man out of the corner of his eye during lulls and extended scenes of dialogue, and more than once Sirius caught him looking and grinned, prompting Remus to smile and look back at the screen.

Eventually, after their plates had been cleared off, their hands found each other again on the table and they tangled their fingers together. It felt strangely intimate, and even stranger was that Remus didn't mind that.

 

* * *

 

 

"So, uh... good night out, yeah? You had fun?" Sirius asked, knocking Remus' shoulder with his own as they walked back up to the house. They'd spent a while outside the theater discussing the movie, and the ride back had been even more nice than the ride out with the stars overhead. A bit more chilly, perhaps, but it gave him an excuse to press closer to Sirius on the bike.

Remus nodded, smiling easily. "I did. Thank you. I suppose I'm just– Forgive me if I'm misspeaking. When we first started talking–" 

Sirius lofted an eyebrow. "You thought I wasn't looking for someone to go out to dinner and a show with?"

Remus immediately wanted to take back his words. "It's not– I wasn't trying to  _ imply _ anything. I just–"

Sirius rolled his eyes on a huff, placing his hands on Remus' shoulders and meeting his gaze unwaveringly. "Listen. This isn't really your business, but yeah, I was looking to hook up with the person I was trying to text. We met at a bar, we exchanged numbers, either I copied theirs down wrong or they gave me the wrong number on purpose, or  _ something, _ cause I got yours instead. But, here's the thing. We both knew what we were getting into with each other. And  _ you  _ know what I'm getting into with you, right? I want different things with different people. I don't  _ mind  _ going at your pace, Remus."

When he said it like that, it seemed very simple indeed. 

"Well, I... have  _ some  _ idea, yes." Remus answered, plucking Sirius' hands off his shoulders and giving him a disarming smile. "Sorry. I'm very glad we're on the same page."

Sirius' keen look, which seemed to have been trying to look straight through Remus, softened back into that searing smile. "Me too. So, can I kiss you?"

"You may."

And he did.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter: another connection revealed, a couple days off work, and another date that's less fun but still good


End file.
